Hey Freddie

The First Shatter

Tick... Tock...

"Voldemort used the killing curse on them." Dumbledore said softly.

Tick... Tock...

I picture my parents smiling faces.

Tick... Tock...

"Can I ask one question?" I whisper, digging my nails into my palms, feeling a sharp pain caused by the small incisions.

Tick... Tock...

"Of course dear." McGonagall said, her voice sounding distant to me, as if I wasn't in my body anymore, only the ticking got louder.

Tick... Tock...

"Why did he do it?"

Tick... Tock...

"Your parents are good people y/n, but in the first war they joined the death eaters because they were pressured into doing so. After Voldemort's defeat, they confided in me and told me it was their greatest mistake. They realised that after having you. Voldemort recently began to rally his troops again. When he came to you parents, they refused, their refusal costing them their lives." Dumbledore paused, and I choked back a sob threatening to escape my throat. "Evidently they were fearing this outcome, because only last Christmas they conjured up a will. They requested you to live with the Weasleys, seeing as you're so close with them, and Mr. Weasley signed off an agreement to this. All of their money go to you, and they requested your mansion be sold only after you visit it to take anything you want from it. The money from the sale of the estate will all go to you."

Suddenly I couldn't hear the ticking anymore. All I hear is deafening silence crushing onto my ears, a maddening sort of sound. I don't hear, and don't care to hear the condolences McGonagall and Dumbledore are offering. I feel myself stand up, it feels nearly foreign to do so.

"Can I go now?" I asked, not waiting for for an answer, walking towards the stairs and walking out, muttering the password to the doors.

The hallway air is much colder in contrast to the warm and stuffy office I was just in. It hit my face with the same cold realisation that I will never see them again.

I see Fred standing there waiting for me, a large grin on his face, and I try my hardest to rush past him. I knew as soon as he'll pull me in, I'll shatter. I didn't want him to see me as weak. I wasn't weak. I was strong. Nothing was wrong. I was fine.

"Y/n?" I heard him say as I ran past.

I heard his footsteps behind me, and picked up my pace.

"Y/n!" I felt his large hand grab my wrist, turning me around.

Before he could say anything else, I flung myself towards his chest and began to sob. I have shattered. I will never see my parents smiling faces again. My father and I won't have our morning breakfast conversations, my mother won't ever give me a knowing smile again. They'll never see me graduate. They won't see my future play out.

I felt Freddie's arms wrap tightly around me, saying nothing. We stood in the middle of that corridor, thankfully with no one there.

"Do you want to talk about whatever is going on somewhere private?" Fred finally whispered, and I nodded, not being able to muster up the courage to say yes.

We walked up to the Astronomy tower. My legs felt numb, my walking feeling more like pointlessly dragging my feet to reach somewhere meaningless, how could life simply go on after these news? How could anyone continue to walk like everything is normal?

We reached the top of the Tower after what felt like the longest walk of my life, and Fred pulled me down onto his lap, pressing my head to his chest, gently stroking my hair. I snuggled closer, grateful for the warmth he provided.

"What's wrong pumpkin?" Fred asks, gently pressing his lips into my forehead.

I told him everything Dumbledore told me, and he listens quietly and patiently. He pulls me in closer to him.

"Why would they die? They had the option to live." I croaked out, my voice cracking with every syllable.

"They were brave, and they died doing the right thing." Freddie said, stroking my hair.

"But they could've lived." I felt another tear slip out of my eyes.

"Would you rather they lived and became a shell of the humans they once were?" He asked, wiping away the tear running down my face.

"I... don't know." I looked up at him, and he remained silent, giving me a sad but knowing smile.